Back Pain

Causes

The most common cause of back pain is a muscle sprain. The sprain can occur at work, at home, while playing sport, or while doing other exercises. Some other causes of back pain include:

• Trauma – a fall or accident
• Congenital deformity – being born with a deformity of the back
• Kyphosis – abnormal curvature of the upper spine. This is most common in elderly people and causes them to appear hunched over
• Spinal stenosis – narrowing of the spaces between the vertebrae (back bones) which compresses nerves thus causing pain
• Bulging disc – when one of the discs between the vertebrae of the back is pressed too tightly, it can stick out farther than it should. This irritates nearby nerves
• Osteoarthritis – a common condition as people age causing wear and tear on joints throughout the body, including the back
• Osteoporosis – weakening of bones, most frequently because of aging
• Cauda equina syndrome – a rare orthopaedic emergency when the nerves of the lower back are compressed
• Kidney infection – a type of urinary tract infection which often presents with painful urination, frequent urination, a raised temperature, and vomiting
• Pancreatitis – a digestive organ called the pancreas becomes irritated or inflamed. The pain feels like it is boring straight through the body to the back
• Renal stones – in some people, sediment can build up to form stones in the urinary system. This can lead to back pain as the stone attempts to pass
• Menstrual cycles
• Multiple myeloma – a rare type of blood cancer
• Bony metastases to the spine – when a cancer in another area of the body spreads to the bones of the spine

Autoimmune conditions – some rare conditions where the immune system mistakenly attacks itself near the back